Raven's Christmas Revelation
by ShadowKnux
Summary: Raven doesn't celebrate Christmas. BeastBoy couldn't help. When Raven takes a walk on Christmas Eve, what could happen to change her mind? Find out here! Oneshot, with some BBxRae. My first holiday story! Please, R&R!


Hey, everyone! It's the Christmas month, so why not make a Christmas related story? I had this idea a little while ago, and thought I'd let everyone see it, and see how it goes. On with the sentiment!

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the Teen Titans, or anything famous.

**Raven's Christmas Revelation.**

_'It's almost time for that holiday again, huh?'_ Raven thought to herself, glancing at the calender. December 24. Christmas Eve. _'And I can never enjoy it. Imagine, the girl born to ultimately be the world's destruction, celebrating the birth of the child who ultimately become the world's savior. If that isn't sacriligious, I don't know what is.'_ she thought. "I'll just spend it alone, like always." she said.

"Raven!" came BeastBoy's voice, gaining volume as he came to her from the hall.

"Should have known." Raven said to herself. Christmas always made BeastBoy behave like a child...or more like one, anyway.

"Raven! I got something for you!" BeastBoy said, bounding into the common room. It was getting late, but BeastBoy still had a lot of energy left.

"What is it, BeastBoy?" Raven said, keeping her tone mild.

"Ok." BeastBoy said, now sounding like he was revealing the solution to a world problem. "I've been thinking, I really needed to find something to give to you to prove my feelings..." he began.

"BeastBoy..." Raven said gently. BeastBoy had already told her about his feelings for her a while back, but she had to deny him a relationship. It just wouldn't work out. "I already told you..."

BeastBoy cut her off. "I know, I know, but I'm not going to give up, Rae!" he said doggedly. "Anyway, I've been thinking, and I got something that women like, and will show how I feel! And I just can't wait until Christmas to give it to you, so...here!" he said, holding out a necklace chain, with a little pendant draping from it, with the letter _R_ and the letter _B_ interlocking in intricate designs.

"R...and B." Raven said. "What is that? Rhythm and Blues?" she said.

"No!" BeastBoy said. "It's Raven and BeastBoy, of course!" he said happily.

Raven sighed. "It's nice, BeastBoy...it really is, but I can't take it, you know that." she said. BeastBoy began to talk, but Raven cut him off. "And it's not just because of what I've said before. I've told you all, I don't celebrate Christmas. It just wouldn't be right." she stood up from the table and began to head out the door. "I'm going out. I don't know for how long. Good night, BeastBoy." she said, stepping outside the room as the doors shut behind her.

BeastBoy stared at the doors Raven had just gone through, then sighed, lifelessly plopping into the booth like seats around the dinner table, letting the necklace drop to the table, and laying his head down, sighing.

_**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

Raven was walking through the city, feeling the crisp cold of the air, the crunch of the snow beneath her feet. A white Christmas wasn't guaranteed where she lived, but it happened, and it looked like it would be one, this year, too. As she walked along, she became aware of a commotion further ahead. When she went up there, she saw a group of your typical hoodlums, trying to be cool. Today's method of being cool was apparently harassing and attempting to steal from one of the Santas that ring their bells and hope you'll donate to a charity of some sort. Besides Raven, no one but the teenagers and the Santa seemed to be around, and the shop was having a slow day. Just like always, "coolness" was hitting a new low. As Raven watched the laughing morons, she saw something she never expected to see.

Another teenager ran from behind her, and waved and yelled to the idiots trying to steal money. "Hey, gangster rejects!" he yelled. That got their attention, as they turned away from the Santa, who looked relieved to be free of them. "Why are you going after money you don't even know the amount of? Why not try for this?" he said, pulling out his own wallet and waving it in the air. Opening it up, he flashed several twenty dollar bills. "How about going for some of this? If you idiots can catch me and beat me, of course!" he taunted. The seedy teens complied, running after him as he dashed away. Raven watched as the kid apparently couldn't run very fast, and they caught up to him. Following them, Raven watched as the kid was held down and beaten several times, very hard. Before she could react, the wallet was in the leader's possession, and the group was walking away, laughing loudly. Going over to the boy, she examined his wounds.

"Really smart." Raven said.

"Oh, hello!" the boy said. Despite his injuries, he was smiling. "Worked pretty well, didn't it?" he said, looking over at her. He had really soulful blue eyes.

"What was up with that?" Raven said, motioning for him to stay still as she healed him.

"Oh, just a yearly routine I go through. No big deal."

"Yearly?"

"Yeah, there's always someone hassling this corner, trying for that money. Nowhere else, because the rest of the areas are always good with business. Too many witnesses." he said, getting up after the recuperation.

"But now they've got your money."

"Not really. The wallet's a cheap, dimestore kind. The money in it is play money. Why else would I taunt them from a distance. And they're always too busy congratulating themselves to notice until they're too far gone to catch me again."

"What kind of plan is that?"

"A good one." the kid said. "The name's Kris, by the way. You see, I do that every year, no matter what. I lead them away from stealing from those Santas, and then..." he said, leading her out of the alley they were in and down to the building with the Santa. "...I donate my real money." he said, pulling out another wallet, this one filled with money as well. He placed all the money in the container.

"T-Thank you so much." the Santa said, awed at the money amount.

"No problem. Merry Christmas!" he said, walking away.

"All of it?" Raven said incredulously.

"Of course. I can spare it. Plus, it goes to help children." he said, and he smiled, a warmhearted smile. "I love children. Personally, I feel that that's what Christmas is about. Making the kids happy. I mean, for adults, its a formality, or one big buying fest. The magic's lost on most teenagers, too. But children...oh, they've always got the Christmas spirit. You see, the magic of Christmas seems to lose its effect on most people as they grow older. But with kids...well, it may seem that they're being greedy, with the increasing demands children give, but if you think about it, it's because they understand that Christmas is a time to be enjoying yourself, and adding new items to one's collection is one way of doing so. As people grow older, it's like they just want the stuff, whether they're going to enjoy it or not. Ah, well. Such is life, right?" he said, smiling.

"I guess so..." Raven said.

"Oh! I guess I've kept you from what you need to do for too long. Sorry. I better be going, too." he said, heading off in another direction.

"Ok. Goodbye...uh, what was your name again?" she called out.

"Kris! Don't forget me, if you don't care to!" Kris called back.

_**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

Raven decided to see how the local mall handled Christmas. Just as she suspected, there was only a sparse scattering of actual Christmas decorations. The big celebrations was apparently sales, in pretty much every store. And, like always, there were several nervous last minute shoppers running around like decapitated chickens. Raven decided to steer clear of those areas generally populated by them, if she could. While walking around, just looking at the shops to see if any were decorated, and to see how many were offering twenty percent of one item if you bought another at full price, she happened to pass by an electronics store, showing several televisions on display.

Looking at them, they were all on different channels. Of course, each show that was on at the time was playing some kind of Christmas special, but something caught Raven's notice. As she looked at all the specials, she noted that each version of Santa Claus, no matter whether it was on a cartoon, anime, movie or television show, looked different. It was like snowflakes, because no two were alike. Tall Santas, small ones, ones that were muscular underneath the suit, ones of just about every ethnicity, males and females, ones with scientific sleighs and genius IQs, and the list just went on and on.

"I see you've noticed, eh?" came a rough voice behind her. Raven turned around quickly, and noticed an elderly man, with a rather large stomach, a white beard, and a Santa cap on his head. He didn't look hostile, so Raven calmed slightly.

"Noticed what?" she asked.

"That none of the Santas are the same. Everyone's making a different version of him." the man said. "Little weird, isn't it?" he said.

"Yeah, kind of..." Raven said. Two strangers who she ends up talking with in a row. What's going on?

"Personally, I feel the shows put to much effort into giving a look to Santa, and explaining how he gets the toys to everyone, and all the other things they do. It's really pretty idiotic. But, then again, this proves something."

"What's that?"

"Well, take a good look again. Santa is all of these forms...and yet, he's none of these forms." the man said sagely.

"What do you mean?" Raven asked. It sounded like a Zen saying.

"Think about it, Miss. Santa's really the embodiment of Christmas spirit, the very symbol of how much the holiday's loved. With all these different ideas, Santa has many different forms, but in that sense, he has no set form to base them on. So, like I said, he is all those forms, and none of them. He's just...practically _the_ Christmas Spirit, you could say." the man said, smiling.

"Huh...I never thought of it like that." Raven said. _'Man, so many people talking to me about these things. What is it about today?'_ she thought.

"Hmm..." the man mumbled, looking at his watch. "It's getting late, I need to go." he said. Looking back down at Raven, he said. "I'm sorry if I strike you as strange, or rude. For all I know, you might hate Christmas..." the man said.

"N-No, it's not that..." Raven trailed off.

"Well, I've put off my work for too long. Maybe I'll see you again, sometime, Miss." he said.

"Maybe, Mr...uh..."

"Oh! I didn't even tell you my name! It's Nick." the man said, beginning to walk away.

"It's nice to meet you, Nick. You seem like a nice guy."

"Oh, yeah." the man said, turning his head as he walked. "I'm just a jolly, old saint, I guess."

_**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

It was late, Raven realized, as she left the mall. The sky had darkened considerably, and the streetlights were on. The snowfall had really picked up, too. The wind was blowing pretty strongly, and the snowfall was rather thick. Raven trudged through it for a while, but it soon became too much for her to handle. Shielding herself from the wind, she ducked into the first area she could get through, and didn't open her eyes until she was inside.

She had apparently found her way into a small church, or monastery, of some kind. It was quiet, and it seemed a little old, but it seemed like she'd be okay in here, at least until the snow calmed down.

"Ah...welcome, my child." came a voice to the side, startling Raven. To the side stood a middle aged man, small statured, with a short length gray hair, dressed in a robe. He must have been the priest here. "Did you come in for protection from the storm?" the man asked serenely. He had a kind, airy quality to him.

"Uh...y-yeah." Raven said.

"Then rest assured, you are most welcome here." the man said. Walking along, he headed toward the cross in the back, and looked at it admirably. "Are you having a nice Christmas?" he asked politely.

"I...um..." Raven hesitated. She didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to say the truth in such a place. But she had to. "I...actually don't celebrate...Christmas." she said, feeling ashamed of it for the first time.

"Oh?" the priest said mildly. "Whatever could be the reason? Of course, I do not mean to pry." he said.

"N-No, it's alright." Raven said. "To tell the truth, it's because of...the way I was born." she said.

"Oh, I see..." the man said. "Well, I do not know exactly what you mean, but I do know that...it does not matter, my child."

"What?" Raven asked, taken aback.

"The matters of one's creation have no merit upon the value of one's life, or their spiritual score, so to speak. Simply because you are born of seemingly bad ways, does not mean you are destined to be a bad person. One's birth does not control one's life. Only the person themself can control that."

"Really?"

"Yes, my child. As far as history can go back, there have been prime examples of this. Trace any country's history, and there will have been someone born of nobility, or high rank, who turned out to become a despicable tyrant, or fall from grace for inhuman crimes. The reverse is also true. True nobles such as Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. came from humble beginnings, yet managed to help change their world, making it at least a little better. I do not wish to lecture you, my child, but I do believe that the Lord would not want you to not celebrate his birth because you think you are beneath it. No one should feel that way. Whether you believe me or not, I do hope that you will some day celebrate Christmas as so many others do." the priest said, speaking with conviction.

Although she didn't realize it, a little bit of moisture was developing in Raven's eyes. Rubbing them, she spoke up. "Thanks, for the words, Father." she said, happy she could call someone so kind by that name, even if it was merely their title, not who they were.

"It was absolutely no trouble, my child. I do believe the snow has calmed down by now. If you wish to return to where you were going, now would be the most ample time." the man said.

"Thanks. What's your name, Father?" Raven asked.

"I am Chris. Father Chris T. Mas is my full name. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance." he said.

_**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

The snow had indeed slowed down, although it hadn't stopped. Raven had no trouble getting back to the shore that led to the island where the tower was. As she was about to lift herself off the ground, she heard the sound of ringing bells, and the wind and snow picked up for a bit, stopping her. She looked behind her, where the sound of the bells was coming from, and was met with a sight she thought she'd never see.

A red sleigh. A total of eight reindeer attached to its front. A large sack, filled to the brim. And inside, the sleigh, a man dressed in red, with soulful blue eyes, a rather plump stomach, the typical red cap, and a long white beard. As Raven stared in wonder, the man laughed just the way the stories tell.

"Ho ho ho! Well, well, Miss Raven. It seems you've had quite a night, haven't you?" the man said.

"This can't be possible." Raven said in disbelief. "It can't be...Santa Claus?" she said incredulously.

"But of course! Who else would be in here?" Santa said.

"Real or not, why are you here? Shouldn't you be delivering?"

"I'm a little ahead of schedule. Plus, I had to see how my little idea was doing."

"Idea? What idea?" Raven asked, confused.

"Raven, my dear..." Santa said. "You've been too hard on yourself for too long. Thinking you shouldn't celebrate Christmas because of your father is just not right. I had to put a stop to it, and it was especially important now, plus, I finally got ahead a little. More coal given out this year than usual." he said simply.

"What are you talking about?" Raven asked.

"What else could he be talking about?" came a voice from somewhere. Raven turned, and saw the teenager Kris heading towards them. Without stopping, Kris ran to Santa's sleigh, and hoisted himself easily, in one swift movement. "Well, big guy, seems like it really worked. I sure hope so, anyway." he told Santa.

"Kris? What the--?" Raven said.

"A little confused, Raven?" Kris asked. Raven nodded. "Let me clear things up a bit. I told you my name's Kris. What I didn't tell you was my last name. Kris Kringle, at your service." he said, smiling.

"Kris...Kringle?" Raven said. "Y-You've got to be kidding me...you can't mean..."

"Yup! Me and the big guy are one and the same...so to speak." Kris said. "Look, we've got the same eyes, after all."

"How is this possible?" Raven asked herself.

"Didn't I tell you, Miss?" came another voice. From another side, the elderly man Nick came up, and slowly put himself on the other side of Santa. "Santa is none of those forms...and all of them." he said, smiling.

"Nick...you, too?" Raven said.

"Yeah, but I suppose I was vague. Remember, I'm Nick, the jolly old saint."

"Jolly...Old Saint Nick..." Raven trailed off. "Of course..." she said, smiling in spite of her surprise.

"As you can see, I inherited the hat, the beard, and the ol' belly." Nick said, patting his stomach.

"And there's one other person." Santa said.

"Don't tell me it's..." Raven began, but the person she was about to say had already stepped out.

"Indeed it is, my child." Father Chris said, appearing from the side and settling smoothly into the back, next to the sack. "Put the pieces together, my child. I am Father Chris T. Mas, remember?"

"Father Chris T. Mas...Father...Christmas...this is so ironic, that it's not even funny."

"Well, I kind of think it is." Kris Kringle said.

"The point of the matter is, Raven..." Santa said. "I needed to show you the joys of Christmas, as well as its spirit, and the reasoning behind its celebration. I just wanted you to be happy, as well. Do you understand?" he asked.

Raven was still in mild disbelief, but she nodded. She understood. "Yeah, I guess I have been a little hard on myself." she said.

"But it's not just you." Nick said.

"Yes, my child. There is another." Father Chris T. Mas said.

"Huh? Who?" Raven said.

"Listen to me, Raven." Santa said. "The celebration of Christmas was not the only thing you were too hard on yourself about. Isn't it true that another person was denied feelings because you were too hard on yourself?"

Raven thought for a minute, then it clicked. "BeastBoy!" she said.

"Precisely." Nick said.

"You always thought it would just go bad for him if he was with you. You were way too hard on yourself." Kris said.

"So, my child, why not give that a chance, as well?" Father Chris said.

"Just give it some thought." Santa said. "Well, everyone, we must be on our way! We still have a ways to go tonight!" he said, handling the reins attached to the reindeer, who had been waiting patiently.

"Okay, but don't let Nick hog all the cookies, this time." Kris said.

"Hey, it's not my fault I got the Santa stomach." Nick said.

"Although I would say it is your fault you drank the milk from 200 consecutive houses." Father Chris said.

"Off we go!" Santa cried, whipping the reins, and causing the reindeer to lift the slay into the sky.

"Merry Christmas!" everyone called as the disappeared into the sky.

"Yeah...Merry Christmas." Raven said, looking into the sky and smiling.

_**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

As Raven arrived back in the tower, incredibly late at night, she became aware of someone else's presence. Stepping further into the common room, she saw BeastBoy, his head down at the table, fast asleep. Laying next to him was the necklace he attempted to give her earlier. Raven smiled and picked it up, and placed it around her neck. The slight rattling sound it made as she picked it up must have been enough, because BeastBoy's eyelids twitched, and he groggily opened his eyes.

"Ugh...Raven?" he said sleepily.

"Yes, BeastBoy. I'm back." she said. "And look." she said, pointing at the necklace around her neck, and the intricate design that hung from it.

"R and B...Rhythm and blues, right?" BeastBoy said sadly.

"No." Raven said, smiling. Then, she moved her face close to his, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Raven and BeastBoy, of course." she said.

BeastBoy smiled, a true smile, although it was a tired one. "I'd jump up and hug you, Rae..." he said, but then he yawned, and Raven placed a finger to his lips.

"Shh...I understand." she said. A clock began chiming in the room, and Raven glanced over at the digital clock nearby. 12:01. One minute into the next day.

"Merry Christmas, Raven." BeastBoy said. "I mean, I know you don't celebrate it, but..." he began, but he was cut off.

"Merry Christmas, BeastBoy." she said happily.

_**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Whoo! Yay for sentimental stories! Or sappy, I guess. Your call. Anyway, I just wanted to make a Christmas themed story, so here it is. Did you all enjoy? Did you like the little twists about the people Raven met? Do you think the change in Raven's ideas was too sudden? Did I make her to OOC? I want to know everything you think about it!

So tell me! Please, R&R!


End file.
